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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234499">sooner or later (workin' in the dark)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Far Cry 5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Deputy | Judge (Far Cry) Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:27:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29234499</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It all starts when Rook goes camping in the Whitetails.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Male Deputy | Judge &amp; Jacob Seed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>sooner or later (workin' in the dark)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all starts when Rook goes camping in the Whitetails.</p><p>/o/</p><p>Rook’s in the middle of a <em>very</em> tiring week when he decides to take an extended trip to the Whitetails. He’s not looking forward to it, but he’s running out of options, what with John’s Chosen patrolling the skies 24/7, and him not being able to walk five feet past the Henbane without getting a pounding headache.</p><p>As much as he would like a helping hand taking on whatever missions Eli has lined up for him, Rook knows he won’t be good company with how little sleep he’s been getting. Boomer, thankfully, is a good listener, and so Rook heads off to the mountains in a stolen pickup with his dog in the passenger seat.</p><p>If there’s one good thing about the Whitetails Mountains, it’s how easy it is to stay hidden. There’s a small stream far from the main road, with enough space for Rook to set up a tarp and lay his things out. Rook is perfectly aware that Jacob Seed has his people looking for him, and if he weren’t so desperate for one minute of rest, he might think his plan through a little better. Find a better hiding spot. See if Eli and his people have room to spare. Keep his firearms a little closer to home.</p><p>Get out of the Whitetails as quickly as possible.</p><p>But Rook’s never been a smart man, and he passes out the minute it starts getting dark.</p><p>/o/</p><p>Boomer’s not barking.</p><p>That – that’s a bad sign.</p><p>Back before the county went to shit, back when Rook wasn’t being shot at by a God-fearing doomsday cult, it used to be difficult for him to wake up without at least two alarms and a backup. In the past month or so, though, it’s gotten to the point where all a Peggie has to do is breathe too hard in his direction and he’s up and running, ready for a fight or not.</p><p>Truth be told, there’s very little Boomer won’t bark at, always dutifully reminding Rook that the world is out to get him and to watch for those skunks hiding in the grass. Rook’s deep in Eden’s Gate territory, where he’s run headfirst into a shootout to escape a pack of wild boars, where he’s gotten high wandering through a field of white flowers. He’s a sinner, whatever that means, and there’re wanted posters with his face on them plastered across every available surface in the county.</p><p>This is not a safe place for Rook to be.</p><p>But his dog isn’t barking.</p><p>Half-asleep, Rook gets his knife out and ready before he opens his eyes. He doesn’t move, because that would be stupid. His pack is still beside him where he left it, and while no Chosen is standing over him with a Bliss arrow, Rook knows he’s being watched. Feels it, in a way that never used to be so familiar.</p><p>Rook takes a breath, holds it for five seconds, and lets it go. Then he rolls over on to his back, knife at the ready, and looks up-</p><p>“Deputy.”</p><p>-to see Jacob Seed staring down at him a few feet away.</p><p>
  <em>Fuck.</em>
</p><p>/o/</p><p>Normally, when Rook sees Jacob, it’s not a pleasant experience. Hell, the first time the oldest of the Seed brothers spoke to him, Rook had been strapped to a chair and being forced to watch those weird animal snuff slideshows with the deer and the wolves. He’d spoken about heroes and gods and the downfall of society and weakness and a lot of other stuff Rook had tuned out. And then he’d wound up that – that music box, and then-</p><p>Rook doesn’t like to think about what comes after <strong><em>then</em></strong>.</p><p>But back to the problem at hand.</p><p>
  <em>Jacob Seed.</em>
</p><p>Posturing in the middle of Rook’s campsite like he owns the place. Not doing much besides drilling holes into Rook’s brain with his eyes, which might be how he looks at everybody, but Rook’s not really in the mood to ask. There’s an obnoxiously red assault rifle slung across his back, the same shade as the knife on his leg, and there’s no way the man in charge of training the army of Eden’s Gate is a slow draw, but other than that, he’s alone.</p><p>At least it <em>looks </em>like he’s alone.</p><p>“Deputy Adler.”</p><p>The way Jacob drawls out his name, smug and subtly scathing, makes Rook’s skin crawl, the same way it had in that dark room at the Grand View. He tries to hide it, tamp it down, but he’s never been good at that, and Jacob considers him with a head tilt as he sits up and clears his throat.</p><p>“…where’s my dog?”</p><p>If Jacob was expecting a different reaction, it doesn’t show. Every inch of him screams contempt, but he steps to the side and Rook’s heart seizes once, twice when he sees Boomer on the ground several feet away. But then Boomer huffs out a breath in his sleep, chest rising and falling with it, and Rook can breathe without choking again. He’d made a promise to look after that dog, late one evening in the woods behind the pumpkin farm, and Rook will happily take on every Peggie in the county to keep it.</p><p>His most pressing concern dealt with, Rook turns his attention back to Jacob. Jacob, who’s looking at Rook like he’s torn between putting a bullet in his head or crushing him under the heel of his boot.</p><p>“He's well-trained,” Jacob says mildly, like this isn’t Rook’s worst-case scenario of the week.</p><p>“He’s a rescue.”</p><p>“Where from?”</p><p>“The valley.”</p><p>“Is that so?”</p><p>“Can I – can I <em>help</em> you with something, Jacob?"</p><p>It feels odd, to call the Soldier of Eden’s Gate by his first name, but Rook doesn’t have time to dwell on it as he’s suddenly staring down the barrel of Jacob’s rifle. It’s a nice gun, despite the color, well-kept, clean, and the paint job looks professional. Naturally, the weapon’s a bit closer than Rook would prefer, but he’s not really in a position to complain.</p><p>“The Grand View Hotel. Are you familiar with it, Deputy?”</p><p>“Hm.”</p><p>“We had a batch of prisoners brought into the Grand View a few weeks ago, Room 304. You might know it.” Jacob takes a step forward, lowering the rifle until it's pressed against Rook’s throat. “I’ll be honest with you, Deputy, I hadn’t been expecting much from that batch. Not every person that we bring into the Project is strong. So, when my men told me this batch hadn’t made it through the trials, I wasn’t too disappointed.”</p><p><em><strong>Weak</strong></em>, Rook remembers, <em>the world is <strong>weak</strong>, and we will <strong>cull the herd</strong>.</em></p><p>He wishes he didn’t remember so much about what happened in that room.</p><p>“Now, I’m sure you can imagine my surprise, Deputy, when I heard that a prisoner from the batch in Room 304 <em>survived</em>.”</p><p>If Rook knew more than nothing about Jacob Seed, he would be tempted to say the man looks impressed. Proud, even, eyes alight with a dangerous energy, and so intensely focused on Rook that he wants to look away. But pride, pride is a sin, and if there’s one thing about the Seed family Rook knows for certain, their loathing for sin tends to surpass their ability to indulge in it.</p><p>“Of course, when I heard that some poor soul had the audacity to infiltrate the Grand View and free this prisoner, I wasn’t too pleased. And I’m sure you can imagine how it felt, Deputy Adler, when I learnt that this runaway had run off to join Eli Palmer, and his merry little band of cowards.”</p><p>“To be fair,” the muzzle digs into Rook’s throat as he swallows, “you didn’t leave instructions.”</p><p>Jacob is silent for a few moments, and Rook forces himself to stay as still as possible, lest the eldest Seed decides to treat himself to some casual murder if he flinches the wrong way. Rook doesn’t close his eyes as he feels the rifle pull away, so he’s a little taken aback when Jacob huffs out a breath and slings it back over his shoulder without taking a shot. He’s shaking his head, like there’s something amusing about this entire situation, and there’s a tilt to his mouth that could almost be a smile. If there’s a joke to be heard anywhere in this clusterfuck, Rook would <em>love</em> to hear it.</p><p>Rook’s so lost in his own thoughts that it takes a few seconds for him to realize Jacob’s walking away.</p><p>“What-”</p><p>He doesn’t expect Jacob to stop, not really, not even sure why he called out. But Jacob does, a few steps past Boomer, lingering for a second before looking back over his shoulder with that ghost of a smile of his and a dangerous look in his eye.</p><p>“Take care of yourself, Deputy.”</p><p>And then he’s gone, silent as he melts into the brush, like he was never there to begin with. Rook stares at the empty space for a good minute or so before he remembers how tired he is, laying back down with a sigh. Where he’s still deep in sleep, Boomer whines and kicks his feet. It doesn’t take long for Rook to fall back asleep, and he drifts off with the sinking feeling that something in his life's gone horribly wrong.</p><p>/o/</p><p>When Rook wakes up the second time around, Boomer’s licking his face and he’s not strapped to a chair next to a rotting corpse.</p><p>He takes it as a win.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>changed my username since i first posted this fic - been wanting to get back to writing it for a while now, and hopefully this helps me overcome my writer's block</p><p> </p><p>title of the work comes from God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash</p><p>title of the chapter comes from Wolves without Teeth by Of Monsters and Men</p></blockquote></div></div>
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